The Right Thing to Do (1)
by xaltanat.daimaou
Summary: A girl shows up at Capricorn's Shrine. It is Shura's little sister, who also has a crush on Camus, the ice-cold Aquarius Saint. Everybody's feelings are in turmoil, but they have to remain calm and follow the rules. Because that is the right thing to do.


"THE RIGHT THING TO DO"

-Part 1-

Light, hurrying footsteps could be heard up the last stone stairs that led to the tenth shrine of the Greek Sanctuary.

They stopped before the entrance and carefully advanced inside. The footsteps echoed in the huge and apparently empty place.

"Hello, Shura!" the voice of the intruder broke the silence, it was a girl.

"Shura, where are you?" there was no response and she advanced into the shrine.

Suddenly, a stern voice came echoing from everywhere: "You know you shouldn't be here!"

She almost jumped.

"Jeez, come on! Quit with the 'great macho guardian' attitude would you? I'm not leaving." she retorted stubbornly.

"I told you last time that you should stay away from this place!" said the voice angrily.

"I brought you candy..." she teased.

There was a slight pause. "Candy?" the tone of the voice had changed. It had a tinge of curiosity now.

"The kind you love, brother." – she rolled her eyes and smiled knowingly.

The sound of heavy footsteps was heard and a shadow appeared on a wall. Moments later, a man in a shining golden armor appeared. He was tall and muscular. He had jet-black hair and eyes, just like hers.

She felt so proud of him. He was very strong. No one dared mess with him. And he was her brother.

"Well, who do we have here?" she said. "It's the great Gold Saint of the Shrine of Capricorn. Finally showing his majesty before our mortal eyes..."

"Cut that out, sis!" he pretended to scold her.

She could tell he was happy to see her again, even if it was against the rules.

"How many times do I have to tell you..." he started but was interrupted by his sister. She took his hand and placed in it a little bag full of candy.

"Eienai, you shouldn't. You know you are risking your life coming here just to see me."

"If the mountain doesn't come to Mahoma..." she trailed off and smiled "Shura, I love you. You are my only brother. All I have. How could I just leave and let you here?"

Shura looked at her tenderly and patted the girl's head with his other hand.

"You know I love you too, very much. That's why I don't like you to come here. There are other Saints you have to pass by. Some of them are like spiders, waiting for a little fly to fall into their nets." He thought about Death Mask for a second and shrugged.

He looked at Eienai. Before his eyes, she was so fragile, only a child. But he knew her better than that. She was no fragile woman. She had learned to fight, watching him and the other warriors training. But she would be no match for a Gold Saint.

The Gold Saints were the highest ranking warriors in the Sanctuary and there were twelve of them. Many wouldn't react kindly to her. They had orders of killing intruders.

"Are you talking about Death Mask or Scorpio?" she asked, guessing his thoughts "You know, brother, there are other ways to get here without going through 'those' Shrines. I'm supposed not to tell but...

She got closer to her brother as he leaned down a little, so she could whisper in his ear.

"Mu has been very kind helping me get here with his powers." She giggled.

"So... Mu is cheating on the Sanctuary?" He gave her a knowing smile. Mu was the Saint of Aries. He guarded the first shrine. He was a very kind and wise young man. Maybe he had read Eienai's thoughts and decided to help her. But he was risking too much as well.

"So, how's everything going for my little sister?" Shura asked.

"Oh, there's not much to tell. The lord always keeps me busy with the daily chores. There are even more training groups now. I'm thankful I only work for the lord of the house! They are planning to build new training facilities, with machines and all that stuff. And besides the usual work, all I do is get candy for my sugar-addict brother and risk my life to bring it here..."

"You are going to make it hard for me to keep fitting into this armor if you keep doing that!" he said with a grin.

She laughed.

Oh, how he liked to hear her laugh! The Sanctuary was so lonely and quiet. Of course there were other Golden Saints to talk to, but she was his blood. He felt at home if she was around, and he knew she felt the same.

Sometimes he regretted paying the price of being apart from his little sister. But it was the way it had to be. He now had to guard the Capricorn Shrine. But it felt so pleasant to have her around!

"I miss you..." she said, suddenly wrapping him in a tight embrace. He let the candy bag fall to the floor to close his arms around her.

"Eienai..." he couldn't finish. How could he say to her that she was making things so hard for him? They would be separated again, every time was like that day long ago, and he would be left feeling alone, frustrated, incapable of doing something about it. And she'll be all by herself out there, without someone to protect her. He hated that. A fierce Golden Saint unable to protect the person he loved most.

When they broke their embrace, she wiped a tear that had escaped from her eye.

"I have to go to next Shrine, but I will be coming back to say good-bye to you, brother." she said looking into his eyes.

"The next Shrine?" he asked, confused. "What for?"

She blushed. I'm going to see the Saint of Aquarius, Camus.

"Camus!" he exclaimed. "You know that if somebody sees you..." – he trailed off, not wanting to think about the fatal consequences. He shook his head.

"He'll do me no harm" she assured him "I was at his place once before. Mu sent me to Aquarius by mistake the first time he helped me. Camus was very understanding and he let me out of the Shrine safe and sound."

"Why are you going to see him again?" Then it dawned on him "Oh! Oh, no! Forget about Camus, sister. No way would this end up well."

"Don't be so over-protecting, brother. I'll be fine."

"Dear Eienai..." he sighed and took her by her shoulders "We Golden Saints can't leave the Sanctuary. We have no personal life. We have to cut all contact with the outer world in order to protect Athena. It is not fair for you to love somebody who can't love you in return. You'll suffer too much."

She looked down. "I brought candy for him too. At least let me give it to him and, and..." – she blushed again "see him one last time?"

"I'll give the candy to him. I promise. But you must go now. Mu must be waiting for you to help you get out of here."

She looked up at her brother with sad eyes. "Let me see him, please?"

"No." – said the Capricorn Saint sternly.

"Pretty, pretty please?" – She gave him a big 'sad puppy eyes' look.

"No" he said firmly "Don't expect him to act very kind towards you. He's going to hurt your feelings. I'm warning you for your own good."

A few minutes later Eienai was running up the stairs towards the Aquarius Shrine.

"A champion warrior defeated by his little sister." Shura thought as he watched her go. She had put her arms around his neck and pulled him down to give him a kiss on the cheek when he finally agreed to let her go.

Shura was rooted to the floor for a while. The realization of his sister having a crush over the Aquarius Golden Saint was a big surprise. "But", he thought, "how would Camus react if he finds out?"

"He's going to hurt her feelings... I know. He'll act emotionless because it's the right thing to do. For her own good. Poor Eienai."

Eienai was only a couple of years younger than Shura, but he couldn't help seeing her as his baby sister. He was very protective towards her. After they had been taken away from their family and homeland, they had only had each other. Then, the lord of the house were Eienai still lived, had sent him to training. He became a warrior, one of the best. A Golden Saint, the most loyal to Athena.

But for the highest honor, he had to pay the highest price. Many things were denied to Golden Saints, like freedom… and love.

Eienai had been taken as a maid at the house of the man who sent him to training. Shura always thought that she could do more than end up as a maid. But she would have to do by herself, as there was no one to see after her. And for now, being a maid at the master's house would keep her safe.

Meanwhile, Eienai had reached the eleventh Shrine, the Shrine of Aquarius.

Camus, the guardian of the Eleventh House had the cosmos of ice. He was a very good-looking man, with flowing blue hair down to his waist. He was regarded as the most inflexible, solitary, impassible and cold of all Gold Saints. Not exactly the ideal target for a girl's first love.

She felt a freezing cold when she took the first step at the entrance. A thin sheet of ice covered the floor. She advanced carefully, caring not to slip and fall.

"M-master C-Camus?" she called, her voice trembling with the increasing cold.

"C-Cam...aaiieeeeee!" the loud scream escaped her mouth.

It happened as she had feared. She slipped on the ice and fell hard to the floor. The echo of her scream filled the Shrine and there was a cracking noise above her.

When she looked up, she saw a huge stalactite about to fall right on top of her. She tried to get up, but the ice was too slippery.

"Heeeelp!" she yelled as the huge ice stalactite fell upon her.

The crashing noise was deafening, echoing thru the entire Shrine like a cannon.

Shura looked up to Camus's Shrine. "Eienai!" fearing the worst, he ran like wind up the stairs that led to Aquarius Shrine.

Eienai slowly opened her eyes. She had only felt being swept up the floor, and now she felt the pressure against metal, but it was warm. When she focused the image before her, she blushed crimson.

Camus was kneeling, holding her securely in his arms after escaping the falling ice stalactite. He was still leaning over her after protecting her with his own body from the big chunks of ice that came from the crash. He stared at her face with impassive deep blue eyes.

"Are you all right, girl?" he asked, but he didn't look concerned.

He stood up and put her back on her feet with great care.

"You shouldn't be here. You have to go" – he said sternly.

"Where have I heard that..." – She thought to herself.

"I c-came here t-to s-see you" – she said. Her voice trembled not just because of the cold.

"What for?" he asked piercing her with his icy gaze.

She tried hard to think and quickly showed him a hand-sized bag, which contained a variety of sweets.

"I came to give you this" and she tended the bag to him.

He looked at her disdainfully and didn't take the bag.

She insisted. "Please, take them. They're good. You'll like them."

"You are Shura's sister." he pointed out without even looking at the bag in Eienai's hand.

"W-well, um, yeah." she doubted "My name is... Eienai. Remember?"

"Eienai?" he arched a brow and for one moment she only thought about how handsome he was. But she shook the thought away fearing to make a goofy face before him.

"Did that giant eagle accidentally dropped you here again?" he said without giving signs of any emotion.

Big oops! She had given that incredibly silly excuse to cover Mu when she tried to explain her sudden appearance at Aquarius last time.

"Mu is getting in big trouble helping you, girl. Even when you only wish to see your brother Shura."

She frowned. "Mu is a very loyal saint. Besides, I have the right to see my only brother and my name is Eienai, not 'girl'!"

At the first mention of his name, Shura had relaxed. If Camus knew who she was, he was less likely to hurt her physically.

Shura had arrived a while ago, but he didn't want to be seen. He had seen that Eienai was all right and that Camus was not in a specially bad mood today.

Shura had been worried when he heard the crashing noise. He knew the sound from when Camus was practicing his ice skills. It could be really dangerous to enter the Shrine of Aquarius at that time. Even for other Golden Saints. He cursed himself for letting Eienai go into the Shrine before trying to sense where Camus was or if he was training.

Everything seemed to be fine, so he opted to leave his sister alone with Camus. If he stayed, Camus would likely feel his presence and Eienai would be very upset.

"Let Camus do the upsetting part" he thought.

"So Shura and Mu know that you're here?" Camus asked.

Double big "oops". What a mess! Not only he had deducted how did she managed to get to the eleventh Shrine without going trough the other ten, but she had revealed that her brother had allowed her to pass by.

He turned away from her and started to walk. "Shura and Mu will have to answer to Pope Ares for this" he said.

She hurried to him and grabbed him by his arm. He stopped immediately and looked down at the small hands that didn't let go.

"Please, don't tell Pope Ares, I beg of you!" – she cryed.

There was fear in her voice. He could easily tell. He found himself staring into a pair of jet-black eyes which gazed at him pleadingly. A memory ran across his mind.

"There are rules in this Sanctuary. There must be no exceptions." he said coldly.

She finally let go of his arm and he continued towards the exit that would lead him to see the Pope.

"Camus! She called. I came here to see you because I though you were the kind and noble person I knew when I first met you. Can't you understand? I thought we were still friends, but now you are stomping over all my memories about you and the feelings I still keep for you!"

Camus stopped. He could see himself as a boy, running and laughing beside her and Shura. His heart ached for those long gone times.

So, she did remember. That first time he had seen her again he pretended not to recognize her. He tried to stay away from those feelings she evoked in him, for he knew all was now lost.

When they were children they had often met to play after the boys finished training. He was sent to the house of the man who had brought Shura and her. But after a time he was taken away, to continue training his cosmos elsewhere. He never knew what became of her and he would've never asked Shura about her. Everything was left behind. It was the right thing to do.

He had become very fond of her, and never forgot about her. She was so little and helpless then... but now she was a woman… a pretty woman he had to admit.

"Following the rules is a matter of obedience" he turned and walked back to face her "all Golden Saints obey Athena's orders."

"Then your Athena has no heart at all" she muttered.

Camus closed his eyes and sighed slightly. It was useless discussing with her, if he remembered well. She was stubborn as a mule. But he remembered being amused by that trait very much.

Eienai now looked at him with disappointment. Her good friend was gone and had been replaced with an ice statue. But she decided to make a last effort.

"You must go back" he said softening his voice and attitude.

"Not until you accept my present for you."

"I don't want to be rude to you. But after this, you must not come back again."

"I can't promise you that" she said sadly.

"Look" he said in a soft voice "I know you love your brother very much, but he must have told you that you shouldn't come to the Sanctuary. It's for your own good. It's the right thing to do."

Eienai felt her heart crushing. Her brother had warned her, but she didn't listen. Now here she was, before the man she had fallen in love with, since she first saw him. They were just children back then. Hearing from his very lips that love was impossible. After years of wondering what had been of him, he finally had found Camus by Mu's mistake and she had to say good-bye already?

Not only was forbidden to her to see her brother, but the man she loved too?

She lowered her head.

"Please accept my presents" was her only answer.

He looked at her, keeping his feelings behind an expressionless face. He knew it was painful. He had to leave many things behind too. For a moment, he thought about how lucky Shura was to have somebody to miss him and come to see him. How good it felt to join them after a day's hard training, when they were much younger.

Now he spent his time practicing his concentration and his skills, but sometimes he couldn't ignore the need to talk to somebody, just as he did to them in the past. He tried to keep himself busy, but there was not much to do as the Guardian of the Shrine of Aquarius. Those good carefree times returned to haunt his mind too often.

"All right, Eienai," he said slowly "But I'm afraid you'll have to leave anyway."

"I'll be happy to go if you accept my presents." She smiled at him.

He looked at her and he felt the ice barrier he wore around his emotions melting down. Before he could rethink his answer, he had said:

"I'm glad you are here. I'm happy to see you again."

Eienai looked at him and blushed slightly.

"I knew you remembered" she said. She came closer to him and took his hand.

The moment she touched his hand he suddenly felt her heart. What was this warmth she irradiated towards him? Could it be love? It was impossible. How could she? They hadn't seen each other in years. But there it was, that unmistakable emotion running through her veins, not knowing that he was aware of it.

"What is this?" he asked, examining the contents of the bag she had placed on his hand.

"Candy" she said smiling again "This kind is Shura's favorite. I'm sure you'll like it too."

He liked the way she smiled. He smiled back at her. "Thank you. I'm sure it's very good."

"Now, could you close your eyes please?" she said

"What for?" he inquired.

"I have something else for you" she said shyly.

"Something else?" he repeated with surprise.

To tell the truth, Camus was not used to receiving any kind of presents. The last thing he remembered being given was his armor. And that hadn't been a gift. He had to undergo a very painful and heavy training to win it. None of the things he had achieved had come as easily as the bag he held on his hand. What else was there?

He was unsure of what to expect. But he just knew she didn't mean any wrong. Besides, he was a Golden Saint. Not any warrior was fit to measure skills against him. But then, what in the world was this funny feeling in his stomach?

He was a Golden Saint. He had to keep his place and he was giving Eienai too much confidence. They were very close when they were children, but they were very different from each other now.

"I can't follow your play anymore, Eienai" he said putting his emotional barrier up again. "You cannot just come and play with a Golden Saint".

"I'm not playing with you, Camus!" she said indignantly "I just wa-a-a, achoo!" She sneezed and hugged herself, shivering.

"It sure is cold in here. Very proper for somebody like..." She looked up at him. "...you." She finished slowly.

He had taken off his cape and put it over her shoulders to protect her from the freezing cold that remained inside the Shrine.

Eienai could feel the warmth of Camus' body clinging to his cape and now making contact with her skin, warming her.

"You are going to get too cold if you remain here" he said "I'll take you outside".

"Before you do that, please close your eyes"

"If that makes you ready to go, I will" he finally said.

She nodded.

Camus closed his eyes. He looked like a sleeping angel! For a few seconds she could only gaze at him. He had always had been good-looking, but now he was so handsome!

It was now or never.

Trembling, Eienai stood on the tip of her toes to reach him and kissed him on the lips.

The bag fell from Camus' hands. His eyes flew wide open immediately at the unexpected contact. His trained mind was not prepared for this kind of things. It felt so soft and warm. He knew it should be wrong, but it felt very right.

She pulled away slowly. Camus blinked at her, speechless. She blushed again and averted his eyes.

"Thank you, Camus" said Eienai, still looking down at the floor. "Here is your cape." she took Camus cape off and tended it to him. The cold suddenly took over her and she shivered again.

He put the cape back on her shoulders. "You can take it off when you get out of here.

She felt very embarrassed now. She forced to look up at Camus and said:

"I-I'm sorry Camus. I'm really sorry."

"Why should you be?" he asked, looking at her calmly, as if nothing had happened, but his eyes were different.

Her brain spun trying to find something to say.

"I couldn't, I mean, I shouldn't have ..." she didn't know what to say.

He took off his helmet. "But I'm happy you did" he said and leaning down, he covered her mouth with his.

"What am I doing?" asked Camus himself as he took in the current of feelings exploding inside of him.

"This can't be true... He's k-i-s-s-i-n-g me!" She thought, feeling her heart about to burst out of her chest.

She embraced him tightly, with all her strength, wanting to stay like that forever. Slowly, she felt his hands going up her back. He supported her head with one hand so he could deepen his kiss.

When they pulled apart, she opened her eyes to gaze into deep-blue ones. They seemed about to cry. He always had sad eyes... beautiful sad eyes.

She lifted her hand and stroked his hair away from his face and then ran her fingers down his cheek.

"Shura must have told you what a Gold Saint's life is like." Said Camus, letting go of Eienai but took her hand in his.

She understood. Inside her, she wanted to scream, to cry and deny what he was saying. But she just kept silent, staring at him. Not even a tear ran from her eyes.

"You are good, Eienai. You are a good woman, a beautiful good woman. I wish you the best star."

"You will always have a place in my heart, dear Camus" She said as they let their hands go.

Eienai walked in a daze back to the Capricorn Shrine, and only came to her senses again when she was in front of her brother.

"Are you all right, sis?" he asked in concern as he watched the absent gaze of his sister.

She lifted her head as if waking up from a dream. She touched her shoulders, seeking Camus' cape, but it was no longer there. The moments she would treasure for life now seemed eternities away... like Camus.

"Did Camus say something rude to you?" asked Shura.

"N-no, no he didn't." She answered, snapping finally out of her thoughts. "In fact, he still remembered me."

"Cherished memories are not easily forgotten, sister. But, what happened? I can tell Camus got very close to you." He gave Eienai a knowing look.

She blushed. "Why are you saying that?"

"Because there are snowflakes all over your hair." Shura reached for Eienai's hair and untangled some snowflakes from it. He showed them to her as they melted in his hand. "Your lips have a blue hue, too." He smirked.

This caused Eienai to blush furiously. She looked down. "You were right, brother."

"Of course I was right." He said playfully. But Eienai didn't smile. Shura understood. He put his hands on his sister's shoulders.

"It's all right, Eienai. Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose... and sometimes love is not enough."

She threw herself into her brother's arms.

"We have the right to love, to be, to live our lives! It's not fair!" She sobbed.

Shura hugged her tightly, thinking to himself this would be the last time he would have the chance to do so. He kissed her hair and closed his eyes wishing he could stay like that forever, holding his little, little sister.

She finally sighed and calmed down.

"This is my last good-bye." she said in a barely hearable voice. Her words fell upon Shura like a bucket of Camus-cold water.

"I know. This is the moment I feared most, but it is what you have to do." He felt his heart breaking. He had told Eienai a thousand times that she shouldn't visit him. But he really enjoyed when she didn't listen to him and went to see him anyway.

The idea of not seeing her again was suddenly unbearable.

"I'm finally listening to your advice. I can't walk around here freely. I'm going to get you, Mu and Camus in trouble, not to mention getting myself killed. Now I understand your feelings and Camus' feelings... how hard I've been making everything for you. I have been so selfish! But I couldn't stand saying goodbye! It tears me apart to leave you!"

"You are doing the right thing, dear sister" He said, holding his emotions back, so his voice wouldn't break and make things worse for Eienai.

"So this is my last visit to you..." she sighed. "I love you, brother. I will think of you every day. I will pray for you every day. We will always, always be together in our hearts."

"I'm very proud of you. I love you, Eienai." He said.

She finally pulled away from her brother's embrace and smiling at him she called Mu with her thoughts, just as he had told her to do.

One moment she was there, the next she wasn't.

Shura stood there for a moment. He thought of how perfect it had been. He hadn't seen her turn her back at him and walk slowly away. He could remember his dear sister standing there, in front of him, smiling happily.

He sighed and put his helmet back on. "We'll always be together in our hearts."

He walked further into the Capricorn Shrine and the deep silence took over again.

Camus walked slowly to the Aquarius Shrine entrance, looking down at the long trail of stairs going to the Capricorn Shrine. The sound of his footsteps joined the sound of water dripping from the ceiling.

"My ice is melting too fast." He thought "I can't believe she did this. But I could feel her cosmos rising. She has the cosmos of fire."

As he stood at the entrance he noticed his cape lying on the floor. He picked it up. Eienai's warmth was still clinging to it, along with her scent.

"Eienai" He murmured. "We were only children then, but..."

Camus shook his thoughts away. It would do no good to him thinking on what could have been. She was gone and it was the way it had to be. Was it? But then why he wanted to leave his life of solitude and go after her?

He felt so many things because of this girl. He had finally seen her again after what seemed a lifetime and now he would never see her again.

Eienai said goodbye to Mu, who had helped her with his telekinetic powers. She walked slowly between the great white pillars of the Sanctuary of Athena. She was leaving so much behind.

Her only brother, who was all she had, her life and somebody else she would never forget, Camus.

It seemed to her that all this was not really happening. In a few months she would be back, giving candies to her brother and blushing at a single thought about Camus...

No, unfortunately it was real. As real as a horse kick in the guts.

But something had changed inside her that day. Maybe she had matured a bit more. Or maybe Camus's ice was making her feel cold inside.

She used her cosmos to raise her body temperature, but the cold inside her remained. It was emptiness.

"It is the right thing to do." She could almost hear her brother saying, smiling at her. Then she recalled Camus holding her tight and looking down into her eyes.

"I'll remember you both holding me tight. That way, I won't feel so lonely." She decided and walked away.

Then she realized she hadn't told them about it.

She didn't tell Camus because he would forget easier if he weren't concerned over her safety. She couldn't tell Shura because that would tear his nerves up.

She was going far away. She wasn't only leaving them, she was leaving her life, the house she lived in, everything behind.

She was being sent to a far place where she would become a warrior, just like them. She was going to train her cosmos of fire. She was going to wear a mask for the rest of her life, to comply with the rules for a Female Saint. It didn't seem so exciting now that she wanted to stay beside the two men she loved most. Her heart ached so badly that she thought it was going to break and spill all her blood out.

But things are the way they have to be.

It was the best for everybody.

It was the right thing to do.


End file.
